An Inferno Red Ram Packed With All The Hot Goods

North Carolina is a state rich in motorsports heritage. With names like Earnhardt, Petty and Waltrip all living within the state’s borders, it’s easy to get caught up in the love for horsepower and speed. Ty Maitland lives in Highlands, North Carolina, and he likes big power as much as some of his neighbors. But instead of cars, he prefers his vehicles to have a cab and a bed. A hobby 14 years in the making, Maitland’s latest project came in the form of an ’07 3500 Dodge Mega Cab.

Ty’s Dodge looks the part of serious street machine. Thanks to his friends at Top Gun Customz in Alcoa, Tennesseee, the Ram stands 6 inches taller than stock via a Superlift RockRunner lift kit with Bilstein 5100 shocks keeping the ride comfortable. He added a Fab Fours rear bumper and N-Fab nerf bars to help pound home the tough look of the Mega Cab, but a closer inspection of the front of the truck and it starts to become apparent that there’s more to his Dodge than a burly bumper and a lift.

Bolting on an SRT-10 hood is a popular modification among Ram owners, something Ty also did to his Dodge. But he also added his own touch of personalization with custom-made inserts for the hood opening that match the E&G Classics grille inserts. When the SRT-10 hood is closed, it’s anybody’s guess as to what modifications, if any, might be made to the 5.9L Cummins. It’s the big Spearco intercooler sitting behind the E&G Classics grille that is a telltale sign the inline six is no longer stock.

That Spearco intercooler isn’t solely for looks. It cools off air shoved through it at 50 psi from a High Tech Turbo SS 64/13 turbocharger bolted on to an ATS exhaust manifold. After passing the intercooler, the air makes its way into the combustion chambers through an ATS Arc-Flow intake manifold where upgraded 50-hp injectors from Dynomite Diesel Performance handle the fuel delivery. Spent gasses exit the Cummins through Grand Rock’s 6-inch exhaust stacks. Keeping the engine oil clean is an FS-2500 bypass filter.

Ty has 10 different choices when it comes to power settings since he’s using TST’s PowerMaxCR. With the module turned up all the way, the 5.9L has put down 441 horsepower and 898 lb/ft of torque at the wheels. Even with 37×13.5- inch Pro Comp Xterrain tired mounted on 20×10 Helo Maxx8 chrome wheels, the Mega Cab has run a quarter-mile best of 14.3 seconds at 88 mph. That’s with a curb weight of 10,100 pounds and the only help putting the power to the ground coming from Glacier Diesel Power ladder bars.

That kind of power doesn’t make for exceptionally long transmission life unless the tranny gets beefed up. Ty enlisted the help of Jeff Garmon at Garmon Diesel Performance in McDonough, Geirgia, to make sure the driveline was up to the task of handling the Cummins’ increased power. Garmon installed an upgraded SunCoast tranny with billet input, output and intermediate shafts. A SunCoast valve body and Triple Disc converter were also thrown in the mix for reliable performance.

The interior didn’t need much work to get it to Ty’s liking. The Mega Cab was already equipped with factory navigation, so additions were kept simple and functional. A trio of Isspro gauges on the A-pillar keep track of trans temp, boost and oil pressure. Mounted on the steering column in pods are DiPricol meters for fuel pressure and rail pressure. All five gauges are white to match the OEM Dodge cluster.

Ty’s Mega Cab isn’t the wildest truck on the road, but his choice in parts is plenty to turn heads wherever he goes. It’s powerful, reliable and gets up and goes when it needs to. The Tar Heel passion for motor-sports is alive and well in his rig… and it turns right as well as it does left. UDBG

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